Most of us know all too well about the dreaded PMS, but have you heard of PMDD? If you suffer from extreme PMS symptoms that last much longer than the typical few days before your period, you may actually have PMDD, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. This disorder is even classified in the DSM-5, the psychiatric diagnostic manual. 

Today's guest, Rebecca Sairs, knows about this disorder intimately. Through both her education and personal experience, she has learned how to tackle PMDD from a holistic perspective, which we dive into in this episode. How do you determine if you have PMDD? What are root causes? What ways should you support your body? What can make PMDD worse? We cover all this and more. 

Rebecca is a registered yoga teacher and certified health coach who specializes in  helping women ditch their PMDD symptoms naturally. She does this by  empowering women to make lasting food and lifestyle changes so that they  can feel happy and like themselves all month long.   Rebecca believes  that a woman should be the PMDD Boss of her wellbeing, and she strives  to help her clients keep their power when making decisions around their  health.   Rebecca is certified through the Integrative Women’s Health  Institute, studied under Nicole Jardim in her Fix Your Period  Apprenticeship, and is currently working on her National Board  Certification in health and wellness coaching. 

You can find Rebecca at her website: http://rebeccajoywellness.com/, or on IG @rebecca5joy. 

In this episode of Hormonally Speaking, Christine runs a solo show to answer some hormone-related questions from listeners. These include:

-What's the first thing I should do to deal with my excruciating PMS?

-I read that you balanced out your hormones at age 40 after all of your surgeries. How did you do that?

- I miss my libido! What can I do?

She also dives more into her own story about her fibroid-surgery gone wrong, and ways to approach surgery that take into account what complications can look like, and what to do about them. If you are going to have a gyno surgery, these can save your life, so listen in.

She also discusses the underlying issues when it comes to fibroids, and why surgeries aren't the holy grail when it comes to reproductive issues.

To learn more about Christine, check out her -

Website: https://christinegarvin.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/christinegarvin/

What can *really* change your reproductive life? Two things we talk about in today's episode of Hormonally Speaking.

I absolutely loved having this conversation with Ashley Marie, who is a licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist specializing in Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy.

And if you've never heard of Maya Abdominal Therapy, you are about to learn something EVERY woman should know about.

You probably know by now that I'm into doing just about anything to help women with their fibroids, and this is one technique that can help tremendously. It also supports every part of your reproductive health, and can be particularly helpful with bringing back periods, easing period pain, and normalizing your cycle.

We also dive into the other arena I want every woman to be educated on - FAM (Fertility Awareness Method). As Ashley mentions, it's 99.4% effective when done correctly. And even beyond fertility or birth control, FAM does SO much to connect you to your body and overall health.

I wish I would've known about it as a teen, which Ashley and I also talk about. Being empowered with FAM at a younger age could help with so many issues that come up around sex and body autonomy.

Ashley Marie is a  Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist specializing in Arvigo  Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy and Intuitive Bodywork.  After  suffering from irregular and painful menstrual cycles for most of her  life and getting no help in understanding them from her medical  providers, she decided to trust that the healing was in her own hands.  With a combination of herbs, massage and dietary changes she now has a  regular, pain free cycle that she looks forward to each month. She is  passionate about creating a space for women to transform their menstrual  realities with womb work, reproductive health education and practical  self~care rituals. She lives in an forested community in the Mountains  near Asheville, NC with her husband and 4 children.

Follow Ashley on IG at https://www.instagram.com/rooted.feminine/.

Do you struggle with anxiety? Your hormones may be the culprit.   

In this interview with Nina Boyce of "Nourished with Nina" fame, we  cover how anxiety and hormones are connected, and what you can do about  it.   We also dive into the four phases of your menstrual cycle, what they  mean, and ways you can physically and emotionally support yourself  through each individual phase.   

A topic near and dear to my own heart is the necessity of advocating for  yourself and your health, and Nina and I talk about the whys and hows  of doing this, and how this impacts your well-being for the long run.   

Sit back, relax, and enjoy this lively interview!  

Nina Boyce is a certified holistic health coach and hormone expert based  in Columbus, OH. After years of struggling with chronic anxiety and  hormone imbalance, she turned towards an all natural lifestyle to heal  her body. Nina is passionate about women’s health and the philosophy  that all bodies are self-healing and resilient. Her coaching programs  focus on total hormonal wellness -- mind, body, and soul. Incorporating  both nutritional and stress reduction techniques, with a blend of reiki  and tarot, deeper healing can be achieved. She is also the host of the  Healing Hormones Podcast, where she interviews leading women in the  world of menstrual health.   

Find out more at her website: https://www.nourishedwithnina.com/ 

Listen to her podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healing-hormones/id1160965218

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nourishedwithnina/

Today I chat with Lara Thieme, a PhD Candidate at the Institute for Infectious Diseases and Infection Control at Jena University Hospital, Germany. She is an incredibly knowledgeable scientist who I met in Nicole Jardim's Fix Your Period Apprenticeship. She's also on her own journey to heal endometriosis with food, supplements, and lifestyle approaches. 

In this interview we cover:

- Her area of expertise: biofilms (very important for those of you who face candida or antibiotic resistance!) 

-The underlying issues that cause or activate endometriosis 

-New testing on the horizon for endo 

-Why your microbiome and genes are so important when it comes to endometriosis and autoimmune issues 

-Why scientific research has not caught up with nutraceuticals and food as medicine 

This interview is packed full of amazing information for any of you ladies who suffer from endometriosis or want to help someone in your life that does. Feel free to contact Lara at [email protected].

This super informative interview with Vashti is all about her own crazy  and intense experience of being diagnosed with Lyme (and other co-infections), how this impacted both her hormonal and total health,  and how she fought her way back. I learned a LOT about what to do to treat Lyme. We also dive into xenoestrogens and how they impact our hormones, as  well as something that's just starting to gain attention: breast implant illness. You'll want to settle in for this incredible one!  

Vashti Kanahele is a certified Integrative Women's Health Coach, Hormone  Specialist, and Environmental Toxins Educator.  In her practice, she supports women in hormone imbalance, perimenopause, chronic diseases  like Lyme, and breast implant illness. She holds a Master’s Degree in Health Science and is a certified Integrative Women's Health Coach, and  she has earned certificates in IWHI Hormones 101, Functional Nutrition Lab Digestive Intensive, a certificate in Environmental Health from Lara  Adler, and Nicole Jardim's Fix Your Period Apprenticeship.     

Want to work with Vashti? Contact her at https://greenpapayahealth.com/.

Here are links to articles she mentioned in the interview:

-Non Toxic Cleaners: https://greenpapayahealth.com/non-toxic-cleaners/

-Eco (and Body) Friendly Menstrual Products: https://greenpapayahealth.com/menstrual-products/

-Great Ways to Detox Your Home: https://greenpapayahealth.com/5-ways-to-detox-your-home/

In the final interview of the 2019 Hormone Summit, you'll hear from someone close to my heart...

...Me :)

I tell you all about the "why* I created this Summit, and the tragedy that led to my obsession with all things hormones. I explain estrogen dominance, and how to deal with possible effect including fibroids, cysts, extreme PMS symptoms, and more. 

I share with you my most recent DUTCH test so you can see what it looks like and why it is so helpful in figuring out what's happening for YOU. 

I also announce something very special at the end (I even got dressed up for it!), so make sure to listen all the way through! Here's the link to learn more about it: https://christinegarvin.com/get-your-hormones-right

Christine Garvin, MA, NE, is a Functional Health Coach based in Asheville, NC. She weaves together her personal health journey – including a fibroid surgery that went terribly wrong – with her training in holistic health, nutrition, and hormones to help women heal their gut and achieve hormonal balance. She sees clients all over the world via Zoom, and she offers self-guided healing programs at her website.

In the final interview of the 2019 Hormone Summit, you'll hear from someone close to my heart...

...Me :)

I tell you all about the "why* I created this Summit, and the tragedy that led to my obsession with all things hormones. I explain estrogen dominance, and how to deal with possible effect including fibroids, cysts, extreme PMS symptoms, and more. 

I share with you my most recent DUTCH test so you can see what it looks like and why it is so helpful in figuring out what's happening for YOU. 

I also announce something very special at the end (I even got dressed up for it!), so make sure to listen all the way through! Here's the link to learn more about it: https://christinegarvin.com/get-your-hormones-right

Christine Garvin, MA, NE, is a Functional Health Coach based in Asheville, NC. She weaves together her personal health journey – including a fibroid surgery that went terribly wrong – with her training in holistic health, nutrition, and hormones to help women heal their gut and achieve hormonal balance. She sees clients all over the world via Zoom, and she offers self-guided healing programs at her website.

It’s Day 5 of the 2019 Hormone Summit, and you’ve learned what to do about PMS, skin issues, hormone testing and perimenopause. Now it’s time to learn about when to use bioidentical progesterone with the Healthy Gut Girl herself, Kitty Martone. Kitty has a wealth of knowledge – both professional and personal – when it comes to this aspect of hormonal balance. You’re going to be blown away and understand this approach so much better by the end of the interview. Enjoy!

Kitty is a certified Holistic Health Practitioner, a certified Nutritional Counselor and certified Master Herbalist. She is known as “Healthy Gut Girl,” hosts the popular podcast, “Stuff Your Doctor Should Know,” and oversees the large FB group, Estrogen Dominance Support Group. She serves adults, children, infants and the special needs community, offering full QRA nutritional testing, detox programs and urban retreats for education and application to help you implement good habits!

Connect with Kitty at her website, https://healthygutgirl.com/, on FB at https://www.facebook.com/healthygutgirl/ or the Estrogen Dominance Support Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1426024567689906/, or on IG at https://www.instagram.com/healthygutgirl_/. 

It's Day 4 of the 2019 Hormone Summit, and today we're talking about how to test those hormones with Functional Nutritionist Robin Randisi! This is a SUPER important area of hormones that is often overlooked, or aren't tested until the last possible moment. Understanding the different tests available out there empowers YOU to know how to talk to your doctor. Plus, Robin fills us in on the easiest, least-expensive, and tried-and-true test of all! 

Robin is a functional nutritionist specializing in helping women in their 20’s and 30’s with period problems, pelvic pain, and autoimmune conditions. She uses a root-cause, bio-individualized approach that blends the principles of functional medicine with nutritional therapy and health coaching. Her passion for nutrition and holistic healthcare stems from her own experience battling interstitial cystitis almost a decade ago. Robin lives in Brooklyn, NY, and works with clients from around the country through her online private practice.

You can find her at her website, https://robinrandisi.com/, on FB at https://www.facebook.com/RobinRandisiNTP/, or on IG at https://www.instagram.com/robinrandisi/.